Govt votes GH¢700m for book, research allowances since 2020

The government has allocated more than GH¢700 million for book and research allowances for lecturers in tertiary educational institutions, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has disclosed.

He explained that the substantial financial support provided since 2020 was to ensure that academic researchers were provided with essential resources for their research activities.

The President said this at the opening of the Third Biennial Applied Research Conference of Technical Universities in Ghana (ARCTUG, 2024) in Sunyani yesterday. “Indeed, the Akufo-Addo government places importance on the payment of research and book allowances to academia, recognising the critical role educators and researchers play in national development,” he said.

Conference

The theme for the conference is: “University, Industry, and Government Partnership for Accelerating Innovation and Entrepreneurship for National Development”. It is under the auspices of the Vice-Chancellors of Technical Universities of Ghana (VC-TUG) and assembled relevant researchers from academia and industry across Ghana, Africa and the international community.

The participants are expected to come up with innovations, inventions and creativity as well as explore the world from different perspectives for the development of the country.
President Akufo-Addo inspected an exhibition of innovations and inventions by the 10 technical universities.

Commitment

President Akufo-Addo said the substantial financial support extended to lecturers across the country was evidence of his commitment to encouraging research. “These investments underscore my government’s dedication to enriching the quality of education and elevating research excellence in Ghana,” he said.

STEM Education

The President reiterated the government’s commitment to advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in the country, highlighting some initiatives and investments aimed at fostering a culture of scientific inquiry and innovation.

President Akufo-Addo said STEM education played a crucial role in driving economic growth and societal progress. He said the rapid advancement in fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and renewable energy presented unprecedented opportunities and stressed the need to equip the workforce with the necessary skills and knowledge to fully leverage the opportunities.

“The government, through the Ministry of Education, has invested heavily in the development of high-quality STEM institutions and programmes,” the President stated.

President Akufo-Addo said the ongoing construction of the  Accra STEM Academy, a school dedicated to the teaching and learning of STEM subjects, would be inaugurated this year.

He also mentioned the development of 20 STEM Centres and 10 model STEM Senior High Schools across the country, seven of which were already operational.  “These schools are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories to facilitate teaching and learning in areas such as artificial intelligence and robotics”.

“The remaining three schools will be completed by the end of the year,” President Akufo-Addo said.

Solving challenges

President Akufo-Addo said many challenges faced today, such as climate change, public health crises and sustainable development required solutions that drew on multiple fields of expertise.

He expressed the hope that boosting collaboration across disciplines could help develop effective solutions to challenges confronting the country. “Together, we can build a brighter future for our nation, characterised by innovation, inclusivity and prosperity,” the President said.

Infrastructure

The Chairperson of VCTU-G, Sir Professor Elias N. K. Sowley, appealed to the government to undertake more infrastructural development at the technical universities to improve academic activities.

He, however, thanked the government for equipping the technical universities with modern equipment to train students. Prof. Sowley urged the technical universities to focus more on research work since it was one of the tools to resolve the country’s challenges and improve the lives of the people.

The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, projected some of the educational infrastructural developments executed by the current government and said in the field of education, President Akufo-Addo had distinguished himself by investing heavily in the sector.